Music

12 Jun 2025

Paul McCartney Pays Tribute To Brian Wilson in Emotional Message: ‘I Loved Him’

Paul McCartney has paid tribute to the late Brian Wilson, 82, whose death was announced on Wednesday (June 11), calling his songs “achingly special” and that “I loved him.”

Yesterday, news broke that the Beach Boys leader had died, but a cause and date of death has not yet been announced. A post on Wilson’s official Instagram account wrote, “We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.” 

Tributes have been shared by a number of musical greats who were inspired by Wilson’s songwriting genius, including Bob Dylan, Elton John, Questlove and more.

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On his Instagram account on Thursday (June 12), McCartney wrote, “Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time.”

He added, “I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’. Thank you, Brian. – Paul.”

Wilson’s work on the seminal LP Pet Sounds (1966) was hugely influential on McCartney and The Beatles’ subsequent studio albums, particularly Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). McCartney cited “God Only Knows” as one of “the best songs ever written” and in 2000, inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Speaking during the ceremony, McCartney declared his admiration for Wilson’s work. “In the ’60s, particularly, he wrote some music that when I played it, it made me cry and I don’t quite know why. It wasn’t necessarily the words or the music, it’s just something so deep in it, that there’s only certain pieces of music that can do this to me… I think it’s a sign of great genius to be able to do that with a bunch of music and a bunch of notes. And this man, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, that’s for sure.

He added, “So thank you, sir, for making me cry. For having that thing you can do with your music – you just put those notes, those harmonies together, stick a couple of words over the top and you’ve got me, any day.”

Following the release of Pet Sounds, Wilson was increasingly impacted by mental health struggles and he was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. In February 2024, it was announced that he was diagnosed with dementia. Wilson is survived by his daughters Carnie and Wendy from his 1964 marriage to Marilyn Rovell, as well as his five adopted children with his wife Melinda Ledbetter, who passed in early 2024. Read Billboard’s full obituary here.

12 Jun 2025

‘Billboard Unfiltered’: Reviewing Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter VI’ & His All-Time Ranking in Rap

Billboard Unfiltered is back with a reimagined format and will remain a live show every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Staff writer Kyle Denis, senior director R&B/hip-hop Carl Lamarre and senior charts analyst Trevor Anderson returned with new moderator Delisa Shannon on Wednesday (June 11) as the trio debated the early returns of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI, and all three skewed to various degrees of a negative reception to Weezy’s latest installment in his decorated series.

Lamarre compared Wayne’s career legacy to that of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and said Weezy still remains in his top five of all-time. Although, CL believes that the disappointing album and his solo output over the last decade have watered down his discography.

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“I need to fire whoever was A&R and executive producing my brother Wayne’s album because this is easily the worst [Carter] in the entire series,” he claimed. “[C6] was just a full trainwreck… When you take out the mixtapes and look at pure albums. From one, five and six on Tha Carter is mid — everything else is mid.”

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Denis bluntly said C6 is “not a good album at all” and “a—.” “He spent the last year begging for sympathy by him not getting the Super Bowl slot and he deserved that,” he said. “This was the time to drop a fire album, get one or two hits off of that, and make your actual case for a Super Bowl headlining show next year. That’s completely shot now because it’s a—… You did not rise to the occasion.”

Anderson seemed to enjoy the album most among the Unfiltered crew, highlighting the first six tracks as standouts before being derailed. “I’m not gonna be that hard on it,” TA began. “Clearly, it’s the weakest entry in the canon… It didn’t stick the landing for me… I don’t know if this album really messes up [if Wayne is top five or top 10] for me… It does weaken Tha Carter series overall… But I don’t think it messes up the legacy peg at all.”

The conversation turned to Wayne’s legacy and Lamarre believes every top 10 rapper should have at least three classic solo offerings, and he thinks Wayne has two with the second and third installments of Tha Carter, but not much else. “I’m adamant about saying his [albums] discography is not as strong as people think,” he declared.

Ultimately, the trio wants to see Wayne get back to the drawing board and lock in with a singular producer like Nas did with Hit-Boy to bring that greatness out of him. When the dust settled, Shannon gave Trevor Anderson the victory in the first game of the revamped Unfiltered series.

Watch the full episode below.

11 Jun 2025

Former Evanescence Guitarist, Jen Majura, Announces Decision to ‘Step Away’ From Music Industry

Jen Majura, a seasoned guitarist who has performed with bands such as Equilibrium, Knorkator and Evanescence, has announced her decision to “step away” from the music industry.

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Majura’s plans were shared on her Instagram account on Tuesday (June 10), explaining that she had come to the decision after “careful consideration, observing what‘s going on in the music industry, AI related developments and change in society.”

“Instead of wasting another year of my life constantly hoping for new energy, drive and creativity, I‘ve reached a point in my life where I can confidentially lean back in peace,” she wrote. “While time allowed me, I was able to collect an amazing amount of beautiful experiences, tours, shows, travels and moments! I am grateful for every bit of that, but the world has changed. I can confidently make up my mind to stop.

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“I am not saying that I will never create any music again, whether recorded or live – but for now I feel there are healthier and better things to fill my life with good vibes and not deal with the overwhelming amount of ridiculousness that comes with the music industry now days. I just can’t identify with today‘s attitude and values anymore.”

As Majura continued she shared her well wishes to “all the ambitious and remaining ‘creators’, young and old,” before offering four singles to her fans as something of a parting gift.

“As a final musical endeavor I wanna share 4 tracks with you,” she wrote. “Songs that were written over a decade ago together with the great guitarist Dennis Hormes. I found these old demo recordings while cleaning out stuff from my computer and thought they are too good to not be shared.”

A musician from an early age, Majura has performed professionally since 2000, with work as a guitarist and bassist in bands such as Equilibrium, Knorkator and Black Thunder Ladies, and a handful of solo albums to her name.

Majura came to widespread attention in 2015 when she took over from Terry Balsamo as the lead guitarist of Arkansas rockers Evanescence. Performing on the band’s most recent two albums (2017’s Synthesis and 2021’s The Bitter Truth), Majura’s exit from the band was announced in May 2022.

“It has been a very special chapter in the band with our dear friend Jen Majura, but we have decided it’s time to go our separate ways,” the group said at the time. “We will always love her and support her, and can’t wait to see what she does next! We are so grateful for the good times and great music we made all around the world together.”

Following her departure from Evanescence, Majura co-founded “crossover metal band” How We End, and also performed vocals on the track “Deep Inside,” from former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini’s Invisible Signs albums.

11 Jun 2025

Douglas McCarthy, Nitzer Ebb Vocalist, Dies Aged 58

Douglas McCarthy, the co-founding vocalist of English industrial dance outfit Nitzer Ebb, has passed away at the age of 58.

McCarthy’s death was confirmed by Nitzer Ebb’s official social media account on Tuesday (June 11). “It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025,” a post read.

“We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time,” it added. “We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon.”

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McCarthy co-founded Nitzer Ebb in 1982 alongside school friends Vaughan ‘Bon’ Harris and David Gooday, with the group taking inspiration from the post-punk genre for their early single releases. That sound soon evolved with more industrial and electronic influences, with the band quickly becoming regarded as noted figures within the ‘electronic body music’ scene – a genre that combined elements of industrial and punk with dance music.

The group’s debut album, That Total Age, would be issued in May 1987, and though avoiding chart success, the single “Join the Chant” would reach No. 9 on the Dance Club Songs charts. 

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Nitzer Ebb would remain a fixture of the chart in the coming years, with singles such as “Control I’m Here,” “Lightning Man,” and “Fun to Be Had” all appearing therein, with the latter giving the band their highest peak when it reached No. 5 in 1990. They would also impact the Alternative Airplay charts, with 1991’s “Family Man” giving them a career high when it reached No. 21.

While 1991’s Ebbhead would be their only record to reach the Billboard 200 (peaking at No. 146), their follow-up, 1995’s Big Hit, would be the band’s last for 15 years, with Nitzer Ebb splitting soon after its release.

McCarthy would contribute to Recol, the solo project of Depeche Mode‘s Alan Wilder throughout the ’90s, and later collaborate with French producer Terence Fixmer as one half of Fixmer/McCarthy. Nitzer Ebb would reform in 2006 and release their final album, Industrial Complex, in 2010. In 2013, McCarthy would release his only solo album, Kill Your Friends.

In recent years, McCarthy had suffered from noted ill health, with Harris taking over vocals for a series of 2021 performances after McCarthy collapsed before a show due to a “pre-existing” medical condition. In early 2024, McCarthy announced he would no longer be performing live after being diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.

11 Jun 2025

Ananda Lewis, Influential MTV Host, Dies at 52

Ananda Lewis, who had a celebrated run on MTV as a veejay and as the host of shows including Total Request Live and Hot Zone, has died at age 52.

News of Lewis’ death was confirmed in a Facebook post by her sister, Lakshmi Emory. In 2020, Lewis revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, saying that she had long avoided mammograms and urged early testing.

Her last post to Instagram was in February, when she wrote that “prevention is the cure. If you’re in a healthy body, you’re holding a winning lotto ticket. PLEASE learn how to avoid cancer. Because you still can.” Lewis is survived by her son, Langston, who is 14.

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Born in Los Angeles, Lewis attended Howard University and then came to cultural prominence in the late ’90s as an MTV veejay. After joining the network in 1997, she hosted programs including the countdown show Total Request Live and Hot Zone, which featured music videos and Lewis’ artist interviews. The network also called upon Lewis to host specials on school violence after the 1999 Columbine shooting along with a tribute program following the 2001 death of Aaliyah.

Lewis launched The Ananda Lewis Show in 2001 and later served as a correspondent on Entertainment Tonight spin-off The Insider, eventually leaving that project to pursue carpentry. Her final project was as the host of TLC’s While You Were Out.

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On social media, fellow former MTV veejay Dave Holmes remembered Lewis writing “Well, this is awful. Ananda Lewis has died. She was the best: friendly funny kind clever cool committed passionate patient stylish and smart. If you were working with her, you knew you’d be having fun, and you’d want to step your game up to match her effortless charisma. You couldn’t, but the trying made you better. We bonded over our shared love of this song, it has reminded me of her ever since, and now it always will. All my love to her family.”

11 Jun 2025

Fat Joe & Jadakiss Host Father’s Day Lunch for 70 Families Impacted by Criminal Justice System

Fat Joe and Jadakiss hosted a Father’s Day luncheon at Sei Less NYC on Wednesday afternoon (June 11) for 70 fathers and their families who have been impacted by the criminal justice system.

The Joe & Jada podcast co-hosts shared words of wisdom and traded stories with the families on hand while munching on an array of delectable Asian fusion dishes at the Manhattan staple.

After posing for photos and selfies, some of the fathers even had the chance to play their own music for the pair of New York rap veterans throughout the afternoon.

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“A lot of kids grew up, parents used drugs and parents in jail and all that — the fact that I had my father, a real leader in my household, and working and always kept me focused on the right things,” Joe said of his relationship with his father.

‘Kiss reflected on the importance of helping reintegrate those who were incarcerated back into productive members of society. “Just hitting that switch to let them know that they can come back and get right due to whatever hardships they went through,” Jada said. “There’s some hope now when you come back to get readjusted. Hopefully change your financial situation.”

Joe also implored fathers who have fractured relationships with their kids to reconnect. “Reconnect with your kids because sometimes kids can get bitter their parents were away in jail,” Joe added. “You gotta find that bond. It’s always there, but you gotta find that red tape to get in sync.”

He continued: “Start now. Forget if you messed up the last 10, 20, 30 years. Start now to be a productive father and get your relationship with your kids. … On New Year’s everyone want to lose weight; I think Father’s Day should be an adjustment with you and your kids.”

Joe and Jadakiss hosted the event in collaboration with Sei Less co-founder Dara Mirjahangiry and the REFORM Alliance, ensuring that this Father’s Day these families had something to celebrate.

“Working with Fat Joe, Jadakiss and REFORM to celebrate these fathers at Sei Less was truly special,” Mirjahangiry said. “Ahead of Father’s Day, we really wanted to shine a light on these fathers who have been impacted by the criminal justice system and support their re-entry journey with compassion. It was a powerful way to bond through culture, community and cuisine.”

11 Jun 2025

Zach Bryan Drops New, John Moreland-Free Version of ‘Memphis; The Blues’ After Conflict

After previously clashing with fellow Tulsa, Oklahoma-native musician John Moreland, Zach Bryan has released a new version of his song “Memphis; The Blues,” replacing Moreland’s feature with J.R. Carroll.

The Moreland version of “Memphis; The Blues” had been included on Bryan’s 2024 album The Great American Bar Scene. Carroll has been a keyboard player in Bryan’s band and also released his first full-length album, Dark Cloud, in 2024.

“‘Memphis; The Blues’ is back out with @jrvcarroll,” Bryan wrote on Instagram. “Promise is a promise. Honored to have done this with one of my best friends in the world. Catch us belting this in Europe and across the states all summer. Thank you brother and we love u guys.”

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The new version of the song comes after Moreland voiced his disapproval when it was revealed that Bryan had reportedly sold his publishing rights to Merritt Group and reupped his label deal with Warner. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the deals earned Bryan approximately $350 million.

“$350 M is a lot to pay for the f—in’ off-brand version of me,” Moreland wrote May 7 on Instagram, adding, “Y’all have a great day.”

Bryan responded by sharing a screenshot of Moreland’s comments and stating, “Just saw this from an artist I’ve always respected and supported. Not trying to be dramatic but refuse to have anyone with a problem with me on my records. Replacing ‘Memphis the Blues.’ If it goes down for a bit just know that this is the reason! No hard feelings! Confused as sh–, Tulsans look out for Tulsans.”

Bryan then removed the Moreland collaboration from streaming platforms.

Moreland responded by saying he didn’t regret his statement or the fallout. “As far as I’m concerned, getting kicked off a Zach Bryan album is way f—ing cooler than being on a Zach Bryan album. At this point, I’ve hung out with him five, six times. I don’t like this mother—-er. Like, am I supposed to be upset?”

Moreland added, “If I was asked to be on the album today, I wouldn’t do it. I don’t want to be on an album with a dude who is a di–head to my wife and my friends right in front of me every time I see him. I don’t want to be on an album with a dude who I’ve heard tell borderline racist jokes more than once. I don’t want to be on an album with a dude who brings a 19-year-old girl in the bar, and then when they tell him she can’t be in there, looks at me like I’m supposed to have his fucking back. I don’t like that person.”

After the new version of the song released on June 11, Carroll wrote on Instagram Stories, “It is out. I hope y’all like it. I’m going into hiding in a couple of hours so I don’t read comments that hurt my feelings hope you guys have a good day.”

Listen to the new version with Carroll below:

11 Jun 2025

Father’s Day 2025: 16 Tender Moments of Latin Artists as Dads

For many artists, there is something even more powerful than filling stadiums, pulling all-nighters in recording studios, topping charts, or receiving awards: being a father.

On Father’s Day 2025, celebrated this Sunday (June 15), we recognize not the touring singer or the hitmaker, but the man behind the microphone. He who lovingly combs his daughter’s hair, is excited to know that he will be a father for the first time, shares the stage with his children, or even, inspired by them, completely changes his musical identity.

Recently, social media, stages, and backstage have been filled with moments that melt hearts by showing the most human side of artists — from Maluma walking on the beach with his daughter Paris, to Mike Bahía wakesurfing with his little Kai, to Alexander Sánchez — son of Alejandro Sanz — declaring with tenderness that “he is the best dad in the world” during a Q&A at Billboard Latin Music Week last October and more.

We have rounded up 16 memorable scenes, all captured on photos and videos, that show the more family-friendly side of Latin music idols. Moments that remind us that being a father is also an art and, for many of them, the most important act of all.

Find out which artist played on one of their daughter’s most important days (her wedding), who got their son to record a TikTok dance routine with them and which kid stopped imitating his dad on a toy guitar to finally join his real band.

Happy Father’s Day 2025!

11 Jun 2025

50 Cent Trolls Elon Musk Over Donald Trump Rift: ‘He Really Don’t Give a F—‘

50 Cent is never one to shy away from controversy, and he threw himself into the middle of the highly publicized rift between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

50’s taken his social media game to another level since figuring out how to use AI-generated images, and he posted another two on Tuesday (June 10) featuring him in conversation with Trump and the Tesla founder.

The G-Unit boss has been complimentary of Trump in the past and he mocked Musk for his alleged eye injury. “So what happened with Elon, heard he let some punk punch him in the face,” he wrote in the caption alongside an AI photo of him and the president on the golf course.

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Musk has claimed that the eye injury came from a playful tussle with his 5-year-old son. 50 followed up with an AI picture of the Queens rap legend on a plane talking to Musk.

“Hey man I think you should talk to Donald. I know you don’t give a f—, but he really don’t give a f—,” he added.

Trump and the tech mogul’s feud escalated earlier in June after Musk announced he was leaving his post as part of the government following the president’s approval of a Republican-supported tax bill that cuts electric vehicle tax credits and will impact Musk’s Tesla company.

The feud spilled over onto X and got ugly when Musk slammed Trump and tied him to associating with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. However, when the dust settled, Musk admitted he regretted some of his actions. “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,” he wrote. “They went too far.”

50 has been attempting to get Trump’s attention after the president said he’d “consider” potentially pardoning Diddy if he’s convicted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Being the king of petty that he is, 50 posted clips from the past featuring Diddy condemning Donald Trump. “[Diddy] said some really bad things about Trump, it’s not ok. I’m gonna reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy,” 50 Cent wrote in a since-deleted post to IG captured by Rolling Stone. “Donald doesn’t take well to disrespect, and doesn’t forget who chooses to go against him. While working tirelessly to make America great again there is no room for distraction. He would consider pardoning anyone who was being mistreated not Puffy Daddy.”

11 Jun 2025

Trace Cyrus Slams ‘Pathetic’ Dad Billy Ray for Allegedly Skipping Mother-in-Law’s Funeral

Trace Cyrus is once again airing out his grievances against father Billy Ray Cyrus, whom the Metro Station musician called a “delusional, evil person” while accusing him of skipping an important family member’s funeral Tuesday (June 10).

In a post on Instagram, Trace wrote a heated message under a photo of his dad that started with, “This man is so hungry for fame it’s pathetic.”

“He really flew to Italy for a fashion show but wouldn’t come to LA for Mammie’s funeral while he was still married to my mom,” he continued, referring to the late mother of Tish Cyrus, Trace’s mom and Billy Ray’s ex-wife. “Even after his daughter got him a $60k private jet like he demanded.”

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“You’re the lamest man ever to walk planet earth,” Trace added. “Honestly embarrassed to have ever considered you my idol. The best thing to come from your downfall is it made me go into beast mode. I refuse to be a washed up, delusional, evil person when I’m old like you.”

Billy Ray’s rep had no comment when contacted by Billboard.

The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer’s relationship with his adopted son has been fraught for some time now. In January, Trace shared an open letter to his dad, stating that he and his sisters were “genuinely worried” for Billy Ray.

“You’ve pushed all of us away,” the younger Cyrus wrote at the time. “We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew and hoping for the day he returns. You’re not healthy, Dad and everyone is noticing it.”

Shortly afterward, Billy Ray posted that he was “praying” for his family.

After marrying Tish in 1993, the country star — who is also Dad to a son named Christopher from a previous relationship — adopted his then-wife’s two kids, Trace and Brandi. The former couple welcomed three more children: Miley, Noah and Braison.

Billy Ray and Tish divorced in 2022, and rumors of a rift in the Cyrus family have ebbed and flowed pretty much ever since. In a recent interview with The New York Times, however, Miley said that she was no longer “estranged” from her father, adding, “My dad and I have had our challenges over the years … I’m at peace knowing bridges have been built and time has done a lot of healing.”

Tish is now remarried to actor Dominic Purcell, while Billy Ray is dating actress Elizabeth Hurley after ending his seven-month marriage to singer-songwriter Firerose in June 2024. In that same NYT interview, the “Flowers” singer commented on her parents’ new relationships, telling the publication, “Now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too — I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing.”